Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT FEIICE.

CHARLES GIFFORD, OF GARDINER, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,212, dated May 28, 1878; application filed March 18, 1878.

To all whom it may concern: j

Be it known that I, CHARLES GIEFORD, of Gardiner, county of Kennebec, State of Maine, have invented an Improvement in Car-Gouplings, of which the following is a speciicaf tion:

This invention relates to car-couplings, and is an improvement on that class of .couplings represented in United States Letters Patent Theinvention consists in providing the coupling-link with a projection to enter a guide in the draw-head, whereby the link is guided as it is moved and is kept from tipping laterally, also, in the combination, with the guided link, of a holding or bridge plate attached to the draw-head to retain the projection of the link down into its guide-groove. The draw-head and link are adapted to couple with a likeshaped draw-head, or with any draw-head using a coupling-pin, and it may therefore be used with any of the usual forms of drawheads.

Figure 1 represents, in longitudinal section, in full lines, a draw-head provided with my improvements, the dotted lines showing the counterpart, supposed to be upon another cart; Fig. 2 a top view, and-Fig. 3 a cross-section, on the line w, Fig. l.

The draw-head a has at its face the usual opening 2 torreceive the common couplinglink, it being held by the couplingpin 3. The upper portion of the draw-head is provided Wit-ha recess, b, to receive the coupling-link g, said recess having in front of it a draw-post, c, over which a coupling-link, like g, of another draw-head, may catch, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1. The coupling-link g has at one of its ends a projection, e, Which enters a guiding-groove, d, (see Fig. 3,) in the draw-head.

The link is held down by the holding or bridge plate f, so that the projection remains within the groove d as the link is turned up and down, thereby guiding the link in the proper direction, and insuring that it moves in the proper path to unerringly fall over the draW-v post c, with which it is to connect.

The plate f is secured to an angular seat upon the draw-head kby screws c c', and pro jects forward through the link g. The plate f is so shaped (see Fig. 2) that the link g, as it isl elevated, bears upon the sides of and is guided by the plate, and is by it held in vertical position. '.lhe striking together ofthe draw-heads causes the link to fall forward to engage a draw-post of an opposed draw-head. When a draw-head like a is by a link connected with a draw-head unprovided with a draw-post, then the link g is permitted to drop, as shown in dot-ted lines, Fig. l.

l. The coupling-link provided With the projection, in combination with the drawfhead provided With the guiding-groove to receive said projection, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The draw-head and coupling-link, combined with the holding -plate f, projected through the link to hold it down in the recess b, and to steady the -link in its vertical position, substantially as and for the purpose described. v

lIn testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHAS. GIFFORD.

Witnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, L. A. BAXTER. 

